Deception
by Operation Zero
Summary: When Ash Ketchum arrives in the Unova region, he runs into some old friends. He realizes that in the past few years, a LOT has changed, and it's not good change either. Now he has to rely on his old rival, Gary, for help.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **I obviously don't own Pokémon or the characters of course, but the plot line and any OC's I decide to throw in there are all me! **  
><em><br>__**ENJOY!**___

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
><em>_**Deception**_

_**Chapter 1**_

__"C'mon, Pikachu! Don't be such a Slowpoke!"

Ash Ketchum ran down the forest path as fast as his legs would go. Not to far behind him was his faithful partner and best friend, Pikachu. "Pika pi!" Pikachu yelled to Ash.

It'd been at least a half hour since Ash had arrived in the Unova region. He'd taken a boat from Sinnoh with his mother and the world famous Professor Oak. After resting up overnight at the Pokémon Center, Ash had bid farewell to both his mother and the wise old professor, and Ash was off on yet another fantastic journey.

Now, we found our hero racing his Pokémon to the home of the first Unova Region gym. The first gym that Ash wished to challenge was the gym in Striaton City. Though Striaton City wasn't very far from where the boat had docked, Ash took his time. This was a whole new region with new Pokémon to see and befriend, and he didn't want a single second of his new journey to be wasted.

"Is that the best you've got?" Ash taunted his Pikachu. The little electric Pokémon seemed to smirk before he sped up significantly. Ash faltered. He'd almost forgotten about Pikachu's Quick Attack. The raven haired boy chuckled as his Pikachu shot past him in a yellow blur.

"Alright, you win," Ash yelled as he slowed to a walk. Ash was panting as Pikachu made his way back to his trainer. "I swear you get faster every time," Ash said, grinning as the cute yellow mouse hopped up onto his shoulder. Pikachu smiled and rubbed his head against Ash's cheek. "Chaaa."

Fifteen long minutes had passed when Ash finally caught sight of the outline of Striaton City. The fourteen year old's face lit up and he broke into a sprint. "Striaton City, here I come!"

The first place Ash went upon arriving in Striaton City was the Pokémon Center. "Here you go, Ash," the nurse with the pink hair said as she returned Pikachu to him. "Pikachu is rested up and ready to battle. Oh, and I also took the time to upgrade your Pokedex with Unova's Pokémon." Ash smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Ash said standing up. "Oh, and Ash, before I forget, Professor Oak left a message for you, something about an old friend of yours in the Unova Region."

Ash gave Nurse Joy a puzzled look. "What? Who?" Nurse Joy fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "Well, you see-" But Nurse Joy didn't get to finish her sentence because just then, a brunette boy with sparkling emerald green eyes walked through the doors of the Pokémon Center.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ashy-boy. I've gotta say, I'm surprised you're here. I thought you'd still be stuck in Sinnoh," the boy said with a chuckle. Ash spun around, his face displaying endless shock. "No way. Gary? What the hell are you doing here?" Ash asked in pure shock. Nurse Joy cleared her throat. If you'll excuse me, I have some Pokémon to tend to in the back," she said, leaving the two boys alone.

Gary Oak smirked and crossed his arms. "What do you think I'm doing here, Ashy-boy?" he asked snidely. Ash scowled. "Please tell me you're not entering the Unova League," the raven-haired boy said groaning, only to be met by Gary grinning. "Look who's catching on," Gary said sarcastically. "And as always, I've already got my first badge while you goof off like an idiot."

Ash gaped at his friend-turned-rival once more. "What? There's no way you already got your badge!" Ash yelled at the brunette, but the badge that Gary pulled out of his pocket proved otherwise. "It was to terribly easy to beat that gym, so you should have a surprisingly good chance, Ash," Gary said smirking. "Even with your weakling Pikachu." Ash rolled his deep brown eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, Gary, Pikachu is NOT weak," Ash said defensively. "Ka Chu," Pikachu said, nodding in agreement.

Gary's smirk remained as he crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Say it as much as you want, Ash, but I'll only believe it when I see it, which you and I both know there's a slim chance of that ever happening."

Ash clenched his fists but said nothing. No way in hell was he going to give Gary Oak the satisfaction of having an upper hand. Gary's smirk only widened. "What's the matter, Ashy-boy? Glameow got your tongue?" Gary taunted.

Ash's fists clenched and unclenched, anger swelling inside of him. "Pikachu, use Thunder." Both Gary and Pikachu looked at Ash like he'd completely lost it, which wasn't too small of a possibility. "Gimme a break, Ash. You don't have the balls to do that," Gary said matter-of-factly. "Pika Pikachu," Pikachu said gazing at Ash, concerned and confused. "Just do it, Pikachu," Ash said under his breath. Pikachu's pudgy yellow face stiffened as he turned to Professor Oak's grandson and obeyed his trainer.

Gary barely had enough time to dodge the slightly watered down attack, but just the simple fact that Ash had directly attacked Gary, the fact that he DID have the balls to do it was enough to leave the brunette in complete shock, especial considering all the times they'd fought, Ash had never once used a Pokémon attack on Gary before. Had he maybe pushed it too far? Nah, that couldn't be it, Gary thought to himself, pushing away the absurd idea that he was the one at fault.

Just then, Nurse Joy returned from the back of the Pokémon Center. She walked in to find Gary sitting on the tiled floor looking as if he'd seen a Ghastly. Ash was towering over Gary, fists clenched, with a rather troubled Pikachu standing next to him. Nurse Joy's expression was one of confusion, confusion that only deepened when she saw Gary's slightly charred complexion that was a result of Pikachu's close Thunder Attack. Gary knew he should've been pissed, but he had to admit, Ashy-boy's Pikachu was damn strong.

"What on Earth happened here?" Nurse Joy demanded. Ash and Gary shot each other looks. "It's a long story," Ash said. "Long story short, Ash and I are rivals," Gary said snidely. Nurse Joy sighed. She put her hands on her hips and frowned at the two teenage boys. "While that may be so, the inside of a Pokémon Center is certainly no place to have a Pokémon battle. If you want to battle, you'll have to do it elsewhere. Like OUTSIDE for instance," Nurse Joy said sternly. Both boys frowned and put on apologetic faces. "We're sorry, Nurse Joy," they said in unison. Nurse Joy huffed. "Well that's fine, and I appreciate the apology, but don't let it happen again."

Ash and Gary walked out of the Pokémon Center. Both boys were in a rather sour mood. "Well, I hate to cut this oh so wonderful reunion, but I have places to be and badges to win. You know how it is, Ashy-boy," Gary said winking at the brown eyed boy. "Believe me when I say we'll definitely be saying each other again. Tata for now, Ash," Gary said, an unmistakable gleam of wonder in his gorgeous emerald eyes. Gary smirked, and then he was off, heading for the next city with a gym to challenge. Ash scowled at the thought of running into Gary in the next city and him already having his second badge. Of course. Why shouldn't things be any different than they were four years ago, Ash thought sarcastically.

Ash looked up at the sky up at the sky that had been blue with only few white fluffy clouds just thirty minutes before. Now the sky was rather dark. Angry storm clouds threatened to drench Striaton City with a river of rain.

"Well, that was fun," Ash said sarcastically, looking at Pikachu out of the corner of his eye. Pikachu's ears twitched as he rested his head on Ash's shoulder. "Chaaa." Ash turned his head to the side a bit so that he was able to look at Pikachu. "Forget about Gary. Let's find some trainers to battle before we challenge the Striaton City Gym," Ash said feeling determination bubble inside of him and course through his veins.

"Mind if I battle you first?"

Ash's eyes widened a bit at the all too familiar voice. "No way..." The raven haired boy spun around to face a girl with orange hair and green twinkling eyes. She was wearing a yellow midriff t-shirt with suspenders and shorts.

Ash grinned at the perky girl and Pikachu's yellow face lit up. "Well fancy seeing you here." The girl smirked at Ash and then looked at the ecstatic Pikachu on his shoulder. Pikachu leaped off of his trainer's shoulder and ran over to the girl. The girl chuckled and picked up the electric mouse Pokémon. "Hey there, Pikachu. Haven't seen you in a while," she said scratching Pikachu under his chin. Pikachu gave a squeal of approval as Ash made his way over to the two.

"So, Misty, what're you doing in Unova?" Ash asked his old friend. Misty set Pikachu down and stretched her arms behind her head. "I'm here on business," she said, purposely trying to sound mysterious. Ash raised an eyebrow at the water trainer. "What kind of business?" Misty winked at Ash. "Sorry, Ash. That's classified." Ash chuckled at her response, but couldn't tell if Misty was being serious or not. Oh well. No sense in bugging her about it.

Pikachu returned to his favored spot on Ash's shoulder and Misty inhaled deeply, taking in the wonderful fresh air. "So, Ash, how long have you been in Unova?" Ash thought about it for a moment before answering, "About twenty-four hours. I've only been in Striaton City for about an hour, forty-five minutes at the least."

"Have you challenged the gym yet?" Misty asked. Ash sighed and sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately no, not yet anyways. I was to busy arguing with Gary Oak." Ash made a face at the mention of his rival. Misty frowned. "What? Gary's here?" Ash nodded slowly and solemnly. "Yeah. Apparently, Mister Cool already beat the Striaton City Gym," Ash grumbled. Misty chuckled. "It seems to me that Gary is always one step ahead of you, Ash." Ash shot Misty a look. "Don't remind me." Ash frowned but he had to admit, Misty had a damn good point.

"So, about that battle," Misty said grinning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
>"Are you ready, Buddy?" Pikachu grinned and nodded, releasing a bit of static from his red cheeks. "Pika!" Ash chuckled. "That's what I like to hear!"<p>

It'd been about two years since Ash had last seen Misty. Now, here she was in the Unova region and Ash was going to get to see how much she'd grown as a trainer since then. Ash could feel adrenaline tinged with determination flood through him. Misty had always been one of Ash's favorite people to battle. Battling good friends was always such a rush.

About a million-and-one questions were circulating through Ash's busy head. What Pokémon would Misty use? Had she caught any new Pokémon since she and Ash had last seen each other? The first time Ash had battled Misty had been at the Cerulean City gym back in Kanto. Misty had battled him at the Cerulean City Gym Leader. Ash wondered if battling her now, four years later, would feel like what it had during that first battle.

"Of course I'll be using Pikachu," Ash said stating the obvious. Misty chuckled and grinned. "Well duh. I kind of figured that much, Ash. Especially since knowing you, Pikachu'll be the only Pokémon you have, right? All of your other Pokémon should be back with Professor Oak." Ash cracked a grin, running the back of his neck. "Uh, right. I knew that."

Misty ginned and took a poke ball out of her orange backpack. "Don't you dare think I'll go easy on you, Ash," she said with a mischievous grin. Ash nodded, but it took so much for him to not burst out laughing. Ash knew Misty typically only used water type Pokémon, and it didn't take a genius to know that water types had a disadvantage when going up against strong electric types like Pikachu. So, of course it would make sense that Misty would want to save her pride.

Misty pushed the button on the poke ball in her hand causing it to get bigger. Her grin never wavered, not for one second as she threw the poke ball into the air and confidently shouted, "Let's win this, Dragonair!" The poke ball opened and a Dragonair was beamed out. Ash faltered.

"Wait, Dragonair isn't a water type," he pointed out feeling rather confused. Misty rolled her green eyes. "Okay, your point? Ash, it doesn't matter that Dragonair isn't a water type. There're still some water type moves that Dragonair can use," Misty said grinning. Her grin widened. "Plus, Pikachu's electric attacks won't be as effective against Dragonair is a dragon type."

Ash's jaw dropped. Damn! Misty had planned this so that she'd have the advantage! Well, that wouldn't stop Ash. He'd show her he could work around the disadvantages. He'd win this battle without a hitch. He turned to Pikachu. "I know we can do this. You ready?" Pikachu nodded and jumped in front of Ash, facing Misty and her Dragonair. "Chu!"

"Ladies first," Misty said smirking a bit. Ash sighed, deciding to be a gentleman about it. "Fine. The first move is yours, Misty," Ash said with a slight smirk of his own.

"Alright, let's do this!" Misty shouted, a look of determination settling onto her face. "Dragonair, use Dragon Tail!" Ash couldn't believe how fast Misty's Dragonair was! The thing sped towards Pikachu, its tail glowing purple. "Pikachu, dodge it!" Ash yelled, but too late. Dragonair was to quick, and struck Pikachu with its tail before the move could be successfully dodged.

Pikachu yelped and tumbled backwards, rolling head over heels several feet. "Pikachu! Are you okay?" Ash asked his Pokémon. Pikachu stood upright and nodded. "Pi." Ash sighed a sigh of relief. "Good, now use Quick Attack with as much speed as you think you can manage." As soon as the command left Ash's mouth, Pikachu took off, becoming a rather speedy blur.

Misty opened her mouth to shout a command, but before she could say anything, Pikachu slammed into Dragonair with an amazing amount of force and power, not to mention incredible speed. Dragonair flew backwards and rolled across the ground several times before gaining enough control to push itself up.

Dragonair was panting and already seemed extremely worn out. Misty frowned, clenching her fists and teeth. "Hang in there, Dragonair. We can do this.

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Good job, buddy. Keep it up and this victory will be ours." Pikachu, who was also panting and rather worn, nodded. "Alright, now Iron Tail! Go!" Ash shouted. Pikachu got a running start, his tail beginning to turn silver.

"Dragonair, use Dragon Tail against Pikachu's Iron Tail," Misty yelled. Dragonair rushed Pikachu, its tail glowing purple once again. Pikachu's Iron Tail collided with Dragonair's Dragon Tail in a clash of power and strength. The two Pokémon strained against each other's attacks. It was maybe thirty seconds before the two Pokémon broke contact. Both Pokémon were panting and sweating. Both trainers were clenching their teeth nervously. The tension in the air was palpable.

"Pikachu, you hanging in there?" Ash asked. "Pika Pi," Pikachu said nodding and taking deep breaths. "How about you, Dragonair?" Misty asked the elegant ice-dragon. Dragonair nodded and Misty grinned.

"Alright, Dragonair, it's time to end this! Use Hyper Bean!" Dragonair's mouth opened and a ball of orange light began to form. Ash clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckled turned white. 'Think, Ash, think! Dragonair is hardly affected by Pikachu's electric attacks... but what if Pikachu combined an electric attack with one that wasn't?' Ash gasped. That was it! That was what he needed to do!

"Pikachu, quick, use Electro Ball and then use Iron Tail to reflect the light!" Pikachu looked at Ash for a moment as if to question this new strategy, but the electric Pokémon obeyed. A ball of electricity began to form around Pikachu's tail. "Pi..." Pikachu's tail turned silver and Ash crosses his fingers, praying to Arceus that his plan would be successful.

The light reflecting from Pikachu's Iron Tail shone brightly in Dragonair's eyes. Misty's Dragonair squeezed its eyes shut and lost its aim. Misty gasped. "No! Dragonair, you have to open your eyes!" The troubled ex-gym leader shouted. Dragonair thrashed about, refusing to open its eyes. "Dragonair, please! Wait... Dragonair, use your crystal! Focus your aura!"

Dragonair ceased thrashing and the jewel under its chin began glowing a beautiful blue. "Now, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "Ka Chu!" Pikachu yelled as he hurled the Electro Ball at Misty's Dragonair. "Now, Dragonair! Hyper Beam, full blast!" Misty commanded.

The Dragonair roared with power as it released a massive incredibly powerful Hyper Beam. The Hyper Beam surged towards Pikachu. The attack consumed Pikachu's Electro Ball and continued rushing towards the scared yellow mouse.

The collision caused the field to be shrouded by a giant cloud of dirt and dust. Ash was thrown into a coughing fit as his irritated watering eyes scanned the dust for his partner. "Pikachu!" Ash called out, gagging on the filthy air.

When the aftermath of the battle cleared, Ash immediately dove for his Pokemon. "Pikachu!" he yelled once more, cradling his injured Pokemon. He looked up to congratulate Misty on her victory, only to find that the orange haired girl was nowhere in the vicinity. "Misty?" Ash called. No answer. Ash wanted to go look for her, but he needed to get Pikachu looked at before he could even consider it.

**A/N: Hm… Why did Misty leave like that? And why has she shown up after all this time? And will Pikachu be okay? All of your questions shall be answered, but at a later time. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of **Deception!

**~CC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Once again, I think it's pretty clear that I don't own any of the characters, just the plot and any OC's I decide to throw in there.**

_**Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy the second chapter!**_

**ALSO! For the second half of this chapter when Ash is in the Pokémon Center, might I suggest listening to **_**Keep Your Head Up**_** by Andy Grammer. I'll rarely put songs with chapters, but I think this one really fits. Oh! And for the first half of the chapter, I'll recommend **_**Whisper**_** by Skyhawk Drive. **

**Enjoy!**

_**Deception**_

_**Chapter 2**_

"Dragonair, use Dragon Tail to deflect Pikachu's Iron Tail," the orange-haired chick yelled frantically. What the hell was her name? It had something to do with the weather, like hazy or cloudy or... Misty! That had to be it!

Gary Oak watched as Dragonair's Dragon Tail attack collided with Pikachu's Iron Tail. He had to admit, he really WAS surprised to see that Ashy-boy had ended up in the Unova region, only because there were other regions a helluva lot closer to Kanto. Then again, Ash and Gary has always had a very similar mindset, so it shouldn't have surprised Gary as much as it had.

Technically, Ash and Gary should've been best friends. There'd been a period of time in Sinnoh when things had been great between the two. They'd even gone to the movies together a few times, but for some reason, as soon as Gary had seen Ash in the Straiton City Pokémon Center, immediately Gary had wanted to taunt Ash and pick on him like old times. At least that explained why Ash had ordered Pikachu to shock him.

Gary realized that he'd spaced out, and turned his attention back to the ongoing battle. Dragonair and Pikachu had broken contact with each other, and both Pokémon were panting heavily. They looked worn and ready to drop. Not only that, but both of the trainers looked extremely on edge. Gary's gorgeous emerald eyes focused on Ash. Despite the obvious fact that things could certainly be going better for him, his eyes still shone with determination. Gary didn't understand how the hell that was possible. If it were him instead of Ash, Gary would've realized he was done for. Ash, on the other hand, didn't seem to get it.

"Pikachu, quick! Use Electro Ball, then Iron Tail to reflect the light!" Ash yelled suddenly. Gary chuckled quietly. That was just like Ash, forever trying to come up with new battle strategies. Gary watched Pikachu give Ash a questionable look before doing as asked. The Oak boy's jaw dropped as Pikachu's Iron Tail reflected the light from the Electro Ball attack, blinding Misty's Dragonair.

The blinded Dragonair began thrashing around, unable to see Pikachu or any part of the field. Poor thing. Gary almost felt sorry for it. His eyes locked on to Misty, who was standing there looking as helpless as ever, what with her Pokémon unable to see. Ash, on the other hand, looked quite pleased with his strategy.

Just then, something glowing bright blue caught Gary's emerald eyes. The brunette almost made the mistake of gasping, because the glowing was coming from Dragonair. Well, the jewel under Dragonair's chin to be more exact.

"What the...?" Gary took out his Poke Dex from one of the pockets of his cargo pants and flipped it open. "Dragonair are said to give out a distinct gentle aura that can be felt by humans," the dex droned. Gary snapped it shut and turned his attention back to Misty and Dragonair. "So, she's having it use its aura to sense Pikachu's location on the field," Gary whispered in awe.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash yelled, and Pikachu sent the Electro Ball hurtling full speed towards Dragonair. "Dragonair, Hyper Beam full blast!" Misty commanded her Pokémon. Gary watched intently as the two rather powerful attacks surged towards each other. When the attacks collided, there was a bright flash of light that made Gary shut his eyes. A split second later, there was a massive explosion.

Gary winced and cringed as bits of rock and dirt rained onto him. It felt like getting pierced by thousands of needles. Not only that, but the dust and debris in the air were making Gary gag and cough.

When the smoke and dust had at last settled, Gary cautiously poked his head out from behind the tree. His eyes fell upon a rather distraught Ash cradling his Pikachu. Huh, so Ashy-Boy had lost? That shouldn't have come as a huge surprise to Gary, he supposed, but it had. Gary actually found himself resenting Ash for losing... Wait, where was the girl?

Gary's eyes frantically searched the field, seeking out any sign of the gym leader/ water trainer. Anything at all would do- like a flash of orange hair! Gary spotted Misty making a sneaky getaway into the woods. Gary frowned. What the hell was going on?

He glanced at Ash, making sure he wasn't watching. He was still holding Pikachu. Once Gary was sure he could get away, he crawled out from behind the tree to pursue the sneaky mysterious girl. Something about this whole situation seemed very wrong to Gary. She hadn't even stuck around to catch up with Ashy or make sure his Pikachu was okay.

Gary very cautiously followed Misty, making damn sure he didn't put himself in a place to get caught. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. He followed her even deeper into the woods, making sure he was a good distance behind her. There was no way she'd find out he was following her- Unless of course a twig snapped obnoxiously under his foot.

Gary dove behind a tree just as Misty spun around. Despite his desperate attempt to slow his breaths, he was breathing hard, and he could feel his heart rapidly slamming against his chest. "Who's there?" Misty demanded, obviously very pissed. Gary remained dead silent, trying to control his breath before- "Alright, I'll make things easier for you. Starmie, find our little stalker," the orange-haired girl said in a flat steely tone. Gary heard the opening of a poke ball and tensed. It wouldn't be long before-

Gary was suddenly blasted with icy cold water that had enough force to brutally push him from behind the tree. His ears were ringing but he could've sworn he heard Misty gasp. "So, Ash was right. You're here," Misty said, almost as if seeing him wasn't enough and she had to say it to know it was true. Gary shot the girl an ice cold look, mostly out of anger about the whole being-blasted-with-freezing-water ordeal. "Well duh. Could I be sitting here in front of you soaking wet if I wasn't here?" Gary snapped.

"Why did you follow me?" Misty asked, her tone blank. It was then that Gary noticed the glassy look in her usually flashy green eyes. The slight bags under her eyes implied lack of a good night sleep. Her overall appearance came off to Gary as somewhat bedraggled.

"Gary," Misty said sharply causing the drenched brunette to flinch. "I'm only going to ask you once more," she said through tightly clenched teeth. "Why did you follow me?" she asked in a threatening tone that caused Gary to frown. "Why did _you_ sneak off after your battle with Ash?" Gary shot back, earning himself a warning glare from the girl. "My actions are none of your concern, Gary," Misty said quickly and defensively. Gary smirked. Now _he_ had the upper hand.

Professor Oak's grandson pushed himself up feeling a little weak. Probably just lingering effects of that damn Hydro Pump. "Okay, so let me get this straight. I can't question your actions without being ridiculed, but you somehow have the right to question _my_ actions? My, my, isn't someone being a bit hypocritical today," Gary taunted. Out of the corners of his gorgeous green eyes, he saw Misty's fists clench and unclench. This caused Gary's smirk to widen.

"You were always such a hothead, Misty," Gary continued, mentally applauding himself for his rather remarkable comeback. Suddenly very confident, he began to circle Misty like a vulture circling its prey. "Well, I guess something's just never change. I mean, it's no wonder you're not as famous as your sisters. They're so down to Earth, and you're just... not," Gary said shrugging.

Before Gary could take another jab at the trainer, his world was suddenly flipped upside down. In a split second, Misty was on top of Gary, sitting on his torso and roughly pinning his shoulders to the dirt ground. If looks could kill, Gary Oak would've been stone still and dead. He'd never seen a look so cold and hateful before in his life, and he was terrified because of it, but no way in hell would he give Misty the chance to see that.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll learn to keep your mouth shut," Misty hissed. Gary refused to let his smirk waver. That would mean letting Misty know that she had won, that there was nothing he could do about the current situation. What he didn't expect was for Misty to slam her fist across his face, ultimately chasing his smirk away.

Now it was Misty who smirked. "Aw, I'm sorry. Did I wreck your pretty boy face, Oak?" Misty jeered. She was so damn lucky she had his arms pinned. "Starmie, you know what to do," Misty said, gaze still fixed on Gary's throbbing face. In the next few seconds, Starmie aimed a powerful Brine attack at the ground, kicking up dirt so that it created a fog effect. "If I were you, I'd pray to Arceus that we don't cross paths again," Misty said. She moved off of Gary and into the dirt haze. When the haze settled, Misty and Starmie were nowhere in sight.

Gary slowly made his way back to the area outside of the Pokémon center, dragging his feet. His face hurt like hell. He was confused and pissed. '_Dammit, snap out of it!_' Gary thought harshly to himself. '_So what if you just got your ass kicked by a girl. You're Gary motherfucking Oak!'_ _Plus she had a totally unfair advantage_,' Gary thought as he kicked a beat up soda can across the ground.

The worst part about all of this was that he'd gotten his ass kicked by a girl, not to mention the same girl he'd crushed on four years ago. At this thought, something inside of Gary snapped. His eyes spotted the soda can, and he kicked it with all of his might. It sailed through the air. A second later, Gary heard a sharp yelp. The can had hit a small Lilipup on the head.

The Lilipup whined and Gary felt bad. Just because he was pissed didn't give him the right to take it out on an innocent Pokémon. Gary walked over to the small thing and knelt down. "I'm sorry, Lilipup. I didn't mean to hit you." The pup ceased whining and looked at Gary, cocking its head to the side. Its tongue lolled out of its mouth and its tail wagged erratically. The corners of Gary's mouth turned up slightly.

The Lilipup suddenly jumped into Gary's lap, causing him to fall backwards. Gary laughed as the Lilipup jumped around ecstatically. "Hey, cut it out!" Gary said laughing while petting Lilipup's head.

This went on for about five minutes before Gary lifted the Lilipup off of him and stood up. "I have to go now," Gary said to the small pup. He set it on the ground, only to have it jump on him, tipping loudly. Gary grinned. "Oh, so you want to go with me do you?" Gary asked it. Lilipup barked and bobbed its head as if to confirm Gary's question. Gary smiled and took out an empty poke ball from his pocket. The Lilipup was beamed inside of the poke ball, and immediately the button on it flashed red.

At that moment, something inside Gary made him look towards the Pokémon Center. He saw Ash sitting in the empty lobby. He looked worried and upset, not to mention exhausted. Huh, Pikachu must've really gotten hurt. _It's that bitch's fault_,' Gary thought with a scowl that disappeared as soon as it appeared. After all, why should Gary feel any sympathy for Ashy Boy and his weak Pikachu? Gary sighed. He was going to regret this...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
>Ash glanced at the lit-up needle sign above the Pokémon Center ER door, then at the clock. That had been the tenth time in twenty seconds. "Pikachu..."<p>

Ash had immediately taken Pikachu to the Pokémon Center after Misty and her Dragonair had beaten the duo. Nurse Joy had said that Pikachu's injuries were severe and she couldn't guarantee he'd be okay,

Ash's head snapped up as the doors to the Pokémon Center opened. Great, Gary Oak's smart mouth was just what Ash needed right now. Yeah right. The fourteen year-old trainer was already in a bad enough mood and he really didn't need for Gary to make it worse, but of course Arceus forbid Ash could have some time to just calm down.

"Guess what, Ashy-boy," Gary said in an attempt get the boy's mind off of his injured Pokémon, but Ash shot him an annoyed look. "What do you want, Gary?" Gary took out a poke ball, his emerald eyes shining. "I just caught a new Pokémon. It's the third one I've caught since I got to Unova," the brunette bragged spinning the poke ball on his index finger. Ash rolled his dulled brown eyes. "Gary, I don't really care about your new Pokémon when mine isn't doing so well," Ash said in a quiet depressed tone. Gary sighed and sat in the chair next to Ash.

"Is Pikachu really doing that bad?" Gary asked genuinely concerned. Ash nodded. "Nurse Joy said she'd do everything she could but she couldn't make any promises. She sounded kind of doubtful," Ash said, his gaze falling to his lap so that his hat hid his face.

Gary frowned. "Ash, Pikachu's been hurt badly before, right? I mean, you always talk about how when you first got Pikachu from Gramps, a group of Spearow attacked you two and Pikachu was hurt so badly that you didn't think he'd make it," Gary reminded the troubled trainer. Ash looked at Gary, his face blank. Gary frowned. Pikachu wasn't the only thing weighing heavily on the boy's mind right now. There was something else. Gary could see it in his eyes.

"Ash..." Gary said in a questioning tone. Whatever Gary had seen in Ash's eyes faded immediately and Ash turned his head do that he was looking forward. "There's something that doesn't make sense," he said frowning. Gary recognized that frown. It was the one Ash had when something didn't add up. "When the smoke from Dragonair's and Pikachu's attacks colliding settled, Misty was gone. She didn't stick around so we could catch up, and she didn't even stay to make sure Pikachu was okay," Ash said throwing a worry filled glance towards the ER door.

Gary's face became a combination of a frown and a scowl, a result f remembering what Misty had said and done to him, the ugly bruise she'd left on (in his opinion) the best side of his gorgeous face. The bitch would pay, Gary swore to himself. Well, if she ever showed her prissy little ass again...

"It just doesn't make sense," Ash said a second time, bringing Gary's mind back to the current issues. "So, she just disappeared from the battle?" Gary asked, knowing the irony of what he was asking. It would probably just upset Ash more if Gary told him what had happened in the forest. Actually, Gary was surprised Ash hadn't said anything about Gary's ruined face. Eh, Ashy had better things to worry about than Gary's appearance.

"Yeah, she just disappeared," Ash said frowning still. Ash cleared his throat and turned to Gary. "So, what's up with suddenly decided to enter the Unove league?" Ash asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject. Gary gave Ash a confused look. "What do you mean?" he asked raising an eyebrow at Ash. "You gave up being a Pokémon trainer to become a Pokémon researcher like Professor Oak," Ash said matter-of-factly. "Oh, that," Gary said rubbing the back of his neck. Gary sighed.

Now it was Ash's turn to raise an eyebrow at Gary. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Ash asked causing Gary to roll his eyes. "No, you didn't say anything wrong, Ash," Gary said. There was something in Gary's voice that Ash couldn't quite identify. "Things back in Pallet have just been a little complicated," Gary said shrugging.

Before Ash could ask what Gary meant, the light over the ER door pinged and flickered off. Ash gasped and shot out of his seat like an overexcited Spoink. Gary instinctively stood up also. The door of the ER opened and Nurse Joy walked out accompanied by a happy-faced Audino.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash said, running up to the pink haired Pokémon doctor. Gary could practically feel Ash's nervous energy in the air. "How's Pikachu?" Ash asked frantically, voice breaking. Nurse Joy smiled and chuckled a bit. "Ash, calm down. Your Pikachu is going to be just fine. The procedure was a complete success. All Pikachu needs now is a good long rest and he'll be back to normal." Ash sighed a sigh of pure relief.

Gary had to admit he was relieved as well. All those times he'd battled Ash and Pikachu. It really would be devastating if something had gone wrong. "I'm glad Pikachu's okay," Gary said, smiling at Ash. Ash turned to Gary, glowing with happiness. "Me too. And thanks, Gary," Ash said. Gary rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He saw Ash frown and he raised an eyebrow. "What is it now?" Gary snapped. "What the hell happened to your face? It looks like you were hit by a bus," Ash said, eyes wide. Gary scowled. "I ran into a pole," he muttered, suddenly pissed. Ash tried unsuccessfully to hide a grin. "Looks like the pole fought back and won," he said snickering. "Can it, Ketchum," Gary said sharply. "I have to go," he said crossing his arms and turning to leave.

Gary made it a few feet out of the Pokémon Center before the sound of someone running behind him made him pause. "Gary, wait up!" Gary groaned. What did Ashy-boy want now? "Yes?" Gary asked, trying to make it as obvious as possible that he couldn't care less. "I had a great idea!" Ash said grinning. "You don't you and I travel together?" Gary snorted. "What exactly is your definition of 'great idea,' Ash?" Gary questioned. "And anyways, you don't even have your first gym badge yet," Gary pointed out causing Ash to falter. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Gary rolled his eyes. "Smell you later, Ashy-boy," he said turning around and walking away with a smirk on his face. After all, what would the point of a new adventure be if Gary didn't have his old rival along for the ride?

**A/N: With a new chapter, I did what any good/ trolling writer would do. I answered some questions but also created new ones! Believe me when I say this fic will keep you guessing, or at least that's the plan. I hope the songs that I recommended for this chapter worked. They worked when I read it listening to those songs. Anyways, I hope I didn't let anyone down!**

**I hope to post the third chapter sometime this coming week, but I'll be traveling with my dad so I can't make any promises. I'd really love if in the next week or so I get a few reviews on the chapters. I want thank the anonymous person who reviewed the first chapter only a few hours after posting it! I just want to know what I'm doing right or wrong, so I'd really appreciate that. **

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!**

**~CC**


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: They own the characters, I own the plot.

A/N: Okay, I usually do this at the end of the chapter, but before anything else, I really want to apologize, and I mean really apologize, that I haven't updated in a while. I've been SOOO unbelievably busy. To explain further, my grandfather recently had a heart attack, so we had to pack up and haul ass to Michigan this weekend to see him. AND exams started last week so I've been studying like crazy. But I'm here, I promise. It may be some time before I upload to next chapter. This is because I A) have a severe case of writer's block. What makes me mad is that I only have writer's block towards THIS fic! It sucks! And B) There's going to be a lot of writing and rewriting considering I haven't exactly mapped out what my goals are for the next chapter. Either way, I WILL be updating, so keep an eye out! And now, I'll stop blabbing so you can read!

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deception: Chapter 3

"Hm. It should be right around here somewhere."

Misty hoisted herself up onto a large fallen tree trunk that was almost too large for her to climb. It took two jumps to pull herself up. She stood up on the oversized log and jumped off, landing swiftly on the ground. The jump stung her feet a bit, but she paid no heed to it. Pain was weakness. Or at least, that was what _they _had told her.

She was still quite livid about the situation involving Gary Oak. Mostly, she was angry at herself for not being as aware of her surroundings as she should've been like she was trained to be. She should've known he was following her. Actually, she should've been able to _feel _Gary's presence. Misty scowled. Her aura must've been out of sync. She'd have to fix that quickly.

Misty came to a small clearing and did a rapid 360 just to double check that this time she was definitely alone. This must've been the clearing he had told her about. As if to confirm it, the ground beneath Misty shook. A slow grin made its way onto Misty's tired face. Yep, this was definitely it.

Misty moved into the dead center of the small clearing. The center shook a bit before beginning a descent into the ground. When Misty was completely below ground, the circular opening overhead sealed itself so no one could find where it had been.

After a minute or so, the underground elevator ceased moving, lurching to a stop and causing Misty to bang her shoulder against the metal. "Identification please," a robotic female voice droned. Misty sighed. This was something she'd quickly become accustomed to. "Misty, agent number one one zero two," she recited, her face blank and tone free of any emotion she may be feeling. "Identification confirmed. Welcome back," the voice droned politely. The elevator whirred and descended further into the ground.

After a few more minutes of traveling deeper into the ground, the elevator finally slowed to a stop. The door of the metal tube slid open and Misty stepped out. Her familiar shorts, suspenders and top had been replaced with different clothes. She now wore a black mini-skirt and a black midriff top with large red "R" in the middle of it. Her dirty old tennis shoes had been replaced by sexy black high-heel boots that stopped just below her knees. She wore black elbow-length gloves, and on her head was a black beret with a small red "R" on it. Her hair now flowed freely around her shoulders. It'd gotten quite a bit longer over the years.

"Misty!" At the sound of her name, the orange haired girl jumped and spun around. She came face to face with a brown haired girl clad in a black midriff top with the same "R" on it, black cargo pants and black sneakers. Unlike Misty's gloves, this girl's gloves were fingerless. The girl's shoulder-length brown hair was held back with a black bandana that displayed that same red "R."

Misty let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me! You know we're not supposed to use our real names during operating hours," she whispered. The brown-haired girl cringed. "Sorry. I guess I'm still having a hard one adjusting to all of this," she said rubbing the back of her neck. Misty nodded and gave the girl's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I get it. I know exactly what you're going through, but it'll get easier. Trust me." How long had it been, Misty wondered. If her mental calendar was correct, it'd been six months since this whole thing started. Six months since she became Agent 1102. Six months since-

"Look who's walking this way," the brown-haired girl said bitterly, putting her gloved hands on her hips. "It's the runt." Misty and the girl spun around to face a blue-haired girl and the Piplup hopping alongside her. Unlike Misty and the brown-haired girl, this girl was sporting a white mini-skirt and a white long-sleeved midriff top with, of course, a big red "R" in the middle of it. On her hands were black gloves that stopped just before her elbows, and on her feet were black flat boots that stopped at her knees. Her long dusty blue hair was held back by two gold colored barrettes and a white beanie with the red "R" in the middle.

"Hey, girls," the differently dressed girl said in an over-excited squeaky voice. She gave a wide smile and rocked back on her heels while the Piplup beside her flailed its tiny flippers happily. The two girls-in-black rolled their eyes in unison. "What?" Misty asked sounding bored and uncaring. "I just got done working with the mechanics. Sooo not my first choice of work," she complained making a disgusted face. "I got oil and grease all over my favorite uniform! I mean can you believe that?" Misty and the brown-haired girl looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"So, what're you two up to?" the perky girl asked. Misty flashed a mischievous grin at the brown-haired girl before turning back to the Piplup's trainer. "Oh, that's top secret information," Misty said in a sarcastic half whisper. "I mean if you were a higher rank I probably could tell you, but you're not so I can't," Misty said shrugging. The brown-haired girl clamped her gloved hands over her mouth to keep from going into a laughing fit as the blue-haired girl's expression became one of awe and excitement.

"Top secret? Wow, you guys are so cool! I can't wait until I'm as high of a rank as you two," the gullible girl said, eyes twinkling. Misty and the other high-ranked girl couldn't help themselves and doubled over with laughter. The blue-haired girl frowned, confused. "Wait, did I miss something?" The two girls cracked up all over again.

The blue-haired girl stomped her foot causing Misty and the brown-haired girl to stop laughing. "I really don't understand what's so funny," she said, her voice taking a snarky bitchy tone. Both of the higher ranked agents stood up, glaring daggers at the runt. "Don't you have some grunt work to do?" the brown-haired girl said rather harshly. Beside her, Misty smirked. The blue-haired girl faltered. "Excuse me?" Misty rolled her dulled green eyes. "You don't get it, do you? You're a stupid pathetic grunt, a weakling underdog if you will. You will /never/ be the same rank as us," Misty said coldly, narrowing her eyes at the girl. "Get a freaking clue." The blue-haired girl frowned and took a step back. She opened her mouth to say something defensive no doubt, but never got the chance.

"Agent 1102," a young boy in a black uniform with green hair said suddenly. Misty and the brown-haired girl shut up immediately and both stood up. "Sir?" came Misty's reply. Misty knew for a fact that the boy was younger than Misty and the other two girls by a year, but it didn't matter. All agents were required to address any agent of the same rank or higher than them as "Sir" or "Ma'am." Misty was glad that only applied higher than or similar ranks. She shuddered at the thought of having to address lower rank agents like that.

"Misty, The boss wants to see you ASAP," the agent whispered standing stiffly. Misty sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Great. Just great." She sighed again and looked at the boy. "I'll go see him immediately. And Drew, make sure that grunt is given work to do," Misty said looking from the green-haired boy named Drew to the blue-haired grunt girl. "She has way to much free time," Misty said flatly giving the girl a look that screamed "I own you." Drew nodded. "Yes Ma'am," and he was gone.

When he was out of sight, Misty looked at the brown-haired girl. "He is so freaking adorable," the girl said squealing. Misty's mouth quirked into a small smile and she shook her head. "Oy. Look, you can worry about your love life later, sweetie." Misty took a deep breath. "Right now, we have a mission to focus on." The brown-haired girl put on a serious face and nodded. "Right. Good luck," she said to Misty. Misty nodded and turned away from the two girls, leaving the base's lounge room before anything else could be said.

Misty walked down a series of hallways, smirking as she passed a couple of lower ranks shooting them looks that would eat away at their self esteems. Here _she_ was the superior and the one who mattered, not Ash Ketchum, and everyone inside these walls knew it. Everyone inside these stone walls knew _her_.

Finally, Misty reached a large set of double doors. The doors were steel with handles that were, of course, large red R's. Misty took a deep breath and pushed open the big doors slowly. "Y-you wanted to see me?" Misty asked. Her voice sounded nervous and shaky. In the back middle of the room was a large fancy desk. The back of the chair behind the desk was all Misty could see of her boss. "Ah, yes, I just wanted to ask you about how the mission went," a sexy male voice said.

Misty rolled her eyes and grinned a bit. "The mission completely blew," she said sarcastically, shutting the door behind her. The desk chair whirled around so rapidly that Misty was surprised it didn't break. "What?" The distressed voice belonged to a boy, slightly older than Misty, with lavender hair and shining green eyes that drew Misty in. "W-what do you mean the mission blew? What happened?" he demanded, close to hyperventilating. "James, calm down," Misty said laughing. "I'm only kidding. The mission was pretty much a success," she said smiling innocently. James' face fell. "That. Was NOT. Funny," he said flatly. Misty giggled. "Au contraire," Misty said grinning. "If it wasn't funny, then explain to me why I was laughing." James smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Back to the mission," he said tapping his fingers together. "Wait, did you say _pretty much _a success?" he asked, his face taking on a look of concern. Misty sighed. "Well, it would've been a complete success if _someone_ hadn't followed me half way to the base," she grumbled. James shot up out of his comfortable chair about as on edge as a person could get. "What? That twerp followed you?" Misty shook her head. "Wrong twerp, Jamie." James frowned. "Wait, so if it wasn't... but what other twerp do we know?" James asked more to himself than to Misty. "Think, James. Who's the only other person from Pallet besides Ash who we know."

It took James a minute to realize what Misty was getting at. He gasped, his green eyes widening. "No way. You're really telling me that-" James began before Misty cut him off. "That Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson is here in Unova? Yes, James, that's exactly what I'm telling you," she said, her tone matching the serious expression on her face. James seemed at a loss for words. "B-but that's impossible! He stopped being a trainer four years ago!" James said matter-of-factly. Misty crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, obviously that didn't go so well or he wouldn't be back," she snapped, starting to feel a little annoyed.

The room was silent for several minutes before Misty spoke again. "James, you finally made it to the top of Team Rocket. After all those years of getting your ass beaten by Ash and Pikachu, you finally found a way to make yourself successful, and you did it all on your own without Jessie or Meowth holding you back. I know that you don't want to end up back where you started, failing time after time again. I didn't stay in Team Rocket to watch you crash and burn. I stayed here because I know that with me by your side, together we can start a freaking revolution. Team Rocket _will_ rise with you as its leader."

Behind her, Misty felt James relax a bit. She sighed and put her palms on the edge of the desk. "You know, we could always just use him. We could easily make the Oak kid part of the plan," Misty muttered, but to her dismay James remained silent. The girl sighed and lowered her head. She was ready for this depressing conversation to end. She began to push herself off of James' desk when he suddenly brought a fist down onto the desk causing Misty to yelp and fall backwards- _right into James._

Misty was so glad that her back was to James so he couldn't see the extreme blush that was spreading across her face. "What the hell was that for?" Misty demanded. "You're right, Misty! You're absolutely right. We'll find a clever crafty way to work Gary Oak into it." Well, Misty was glad to see James back into the spirit of things, but she was beginning to get a headache from where she'd banged her head against his hard chest. "Great, so you'll fix the plan and I'll ice my head," Misty said with mock enthusiasm.

Before Misty could push herself up and off of the desk, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. The arms belonged to James. At this, the corners of Misty's mouth turned up into a sly grin. "What would I do without you?" James asked in a smooth quiet tone. Just to get a reaction out of James, Misty reached behind her and ran her fingers through James' gorgeous lavender hair. "Well, you'd still be chasing after Ash and Pikachu with Jessie and Meowth, and you'd still be a miserable failure," Misty said, her grin turning into an amused smile. She could feel James smirk. "Ya know, that really didn't require an answer." Misty chuckled and, to James' disappointment, unwrapped his arms from around her petite waist.

Misty hopped off of the desk and smoothed out her uniform. "Now, now, Jamie, don't get ahead of yourself. There's still a lot of work to be done," she teased, grinning. James made a mocking face at her and walked out from behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back. "Yes, well, I suppose if everything went well then we can continue on with our plan," James said trying to be serious now. Misty giggled. He was so adorable when he wasn't trying to be. "Alright. Your orders?" Misty asked, suddenly becoming the serious Rocket agent she was trained to be. "Keep things moving. Don't slow the progression of the plan. Go ahead and tell the next girl to get in position for deployment," he instructed. Misty saluted the Rocket boss. "Yes, Sir!" And then, just because she could, she winked at James before leaving the room.

"So, what happened? Did you get in trouble?" the brown-haired girl wasted no time asking as soon as Misty shut the door to James' office. Misty jumped eyes wide. "Shit! Would you stop doing that?" The girl giggled. "Sorry." Misty couldn't help but smiling a bit. "All is forgiven. Anyways, no. I had the amazing idea to add Gary to the plan. The boss was so excited that I now have to apply ice than heat to my head," Misty said with sarcastic happiness. The brown-haired gave Misty a confused look, but Misty waved it away. "Never mind. The boss would like to carry on with the plan." The brown-haired girl tensed. "That means..." Misty gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her shoulder.

"You're up, May."

A/N: This by far is my favorite chapter that I've done yet. But, enough about me. I want to you what YOU think. Feel free to rape the Review button! It's feelings won't be hurt.

~CC


End file.
